Managing candidates’ salary expectations

Successful recruiting is about lots of small interactions, handled well. The real job of a recruiter is to manage outcomes in the interests of both client and candidate. This week I have another micro recruitment consulting tip – the key skill of managing the candidate’s expectations around salary.

It’s not that we want to find a person the lowest possible salary we can. Not at all. But it is crucial to know what the absolute minimum salary is for a candidate to move for the right job.

Too many recruiters take a stated salary expectation at face value. Often that number is inflated and largely wishful thinking. However, if taken as a true guide, it could mean the candidate misses out on the perfect job because you, the recruiter, did not understand what his or her true motivators were.

Managing expectations on salary starts in the first interview and it involves coupling the perfect job sought by the candidate to the lowest salary they would accept. Sure it’s a technique and it’s a test but it does clarify what the salary tipping-point really is.
And you have to know that or you could be the recruiter who has the candidate, has the job, but watches another recruiter put the two together because they did a better job of uncovering the candidate’s salary floor.

And that is an ugly prospect.

You need to drill down on what the candidate would accept for the right job.

Without that how can you effectively manage the candidate’s job search?

Not a problem Stephen, and thanks for your comment. You are quite right, its managing expectations on both sides, not to manipulate anyone, but to increase the chances of making a match and decrease the chances of a perfect hire being botched, simply becuase of misunderstood salary parameters

Agree Greg - Recruiters often make the mistake of quoting the "top end" of a salary band to attract Candidate interest. As so often happens, disconnect sets in when the offer comes in at the lower end of the scale and Candidates immediately feel short changed. Similarly, Consultants pitch to the Client a "minimum" salary range a Candidate will accept and Client's naturally will gravitate to the bottom end of that range, leaving Candidate's feeling undervalued. Both ends are deal killers but can be solved with smarter understanding and communication from the get go.

Great article and sound reminder for recruiters who have been in the business for years but still need to remind themselves of the fundamentals. Plus it makes me laugh cause both candidates and clients are a pain in the a$$ when it comes to comp. The equation plays out like this...
Client: I'm cheap and think its a blessing to work at my company.
Candidate: I don't have the experience but I am "entitled" to be grossly overpaid.
What fun we can sometimes have. Www.yougothired.com
Brad Bullington

Amazing article !! i specially like the research about the company because that exactly gives you the valid range when you answer "what are your salary expectation?" so thanks a lot for helping us by giving us such a informative post and i am sure i am going to bookmark this.Thank You.

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GREG SAVAGE

With a career spanning four decades, Greg is a founder of 4 highly successful businesses, is a trusted advisor and respected voice across the global recruitment and professional services industries, and a regular keynote speaker at conferences around the world.